Rooming House Ordinance

The City's new rooming house ordinance was drafted by the Student and Neighborhood Relations Commission in response to concerns from San Marcos residents about excessive night-time noise, additional neighborhood traffic and lack of street parking. The new ordinance went into effect in August 2008, just prior to the start of the new college/university school year.

“This ordinance will prevent single family homes from being used in a commercial manner,” explained City Manager Jack Griffin. “The goal is to preserve residential character in our neighborhoods and maintain the quality of life that residents expect.”

The ordinance limits the number of leases in a single family home to four or fewer individuals. Owners of condominiums and town homes that are leased to five or more tenants must obtain a City permit in order to be in good standing with the ordinance. A City permit for this activity is $7,200. Owners of apartment complexes with no professional property management are required to complete an approved property management training course.